Portland St gives coach Bruce Barnum 5-year deal

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) Portland State's Bruce Barnum, a first-time head coach whose Vikings opened the season with their first-ever victory over a Pac-12 team,

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) Portland State's Bruce Barnum, a first-time head coach whose Vikings opened the season with their first-ever victory over a Pac-12 team, has been given a five-year contract, the school announced Wednesday.

Barnum had been the Vikings' offensive coordinator but he was elevated last year when the Portland State dismissed Nigel Burton after five seasons. Barnum was given a one-year contract, largely seen as a try-out for the top job.

WIN $2KIN TICKETS

WIN $2KIN TICKETS

GET READY TO COMPETE

Pick your champion (you can change it later). We’ll email you when brackets open.

• Georgia
• Utah
• Alabama
• UCLA
• Notre Dame
• Texas
• Miami (FL)
• Tennessee
• Indiana
• BYU
• Kentucky
• Texas Tech

PREREGISTER TO PLAY

No purchase necessary. 50 U.S./D.C. 18+. Entry opens 3PM ET Dec 6, 2026 and closes 8PM ET Dec 18, 2026. Void where prohibited.See Official Rules for complete details. The College Football Playoff (CFP) is not a sponsor or administrator of this contest.

Portland State opened the season with a 24-17 upset of Washington State on Sept. 5, a first for the Vikings. Portland State has gone on to compile a 4-1 record.

Athletic director Mark Rountree said in announcing the contract that, ''Coach Barnum has proven he can lead our team to compete at the highest levels.''